Lawrence A. Strid | Mission Viejo, CA | 02/26/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"WBL have often been unfairly compared to Cream, and except for the Jack Bruce/Felix Pappalardi link and the fact that both bands were a power trio format, I think this is unfair. They had their own sound, and this excellent live outing showcases them in all of their glory. The sound quality is excellent, and there are only 4 tunes on the album, because of their length (which begs the question which vault the rest of the live tracks are languishing in -- this should have been originally released as a two album set), and they include:
Play With Fire: The Stone's classic is given a heavy metal finish, with Jack and Leslie trading off on vocals and Corky doing an inventive drum solo.
The Doctor: The live outing of one of the studio tracks on their debut album, Why Dontcha', featuring searing slide work by Leslie.
Politician: Better than the live outings by Cream, no kiddin'.
Powerhouse Sod: This track features an absolutely mind-bending bass solo by Jack, which I found both surprising and long overdue given the fact that he never really did any bass solos when he was with Cream, except for a brief one on one of the takes of "Steppin' Out" from the Cream at the BBC CD.
The bottom-line is that if you are a fan of Mountain, Leslie West, Jack Bruce, Cream, or any in your face heavy rock, you will eat this up with a spoon and write the label to demand that they release the rest of their live inventory."
70s Hard Rock Excess in it's Purest Form
E. Beezy | LA, California | 10/14/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"West, Bruce and Laing's "Live N Kickin" CD is an amazing snapshot of this incendiary, but short lived super-group. Unlike their two studio albums, "Live" captures this group at its fiery best; they simply ATTACK this material, leaving no prisoners. "Play with Fire" is a stones cover, and is reminiscent of the "Why Doncha" cut, "Love is Worth the Blues". This song stretches for over 13 minutes, and does ramble a bit, but its great listening for musicians and aficionados alike. The version of "Politician" on this CD kills any other version, way better than any Cream version, live or studio. "The Doctor" simply rips, and "Powerhouse Sod" has Jack Bruce throwing down like no other bassist of his time. If you are a fan of Cream or Mountain or 70s hard rock, this would be a great buy."
ABOUT TIME!!!!
Stephen Brown | Redlands Ca USA | 11/10/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is quite possibly the finest live hard rock album ever! (with apologies to Grand Funk, Uriah Heep and Humble Pie all of whom put out awsome live albums!) I still cant believe it has taken this long for someone to wake up and release this gem! My old vinyl version wore out long ago and I have been listening to a poor CD copy taken off Napster several years ago. Now I can get the real thing! Leslie West is in the top tier of guitarist as far as I am concerned, right up there with Hendrix, Blackmore, Van Halen, Nugent and Alvin Lee! Jack Bruce is the finest hard rock bassist on the planet! (when he rocks, not when he tries to get artsy!) And he ROCKS on this album! Corky Laing is a very good drummer and compliments West and Bruce very well. Buy it, put it on and TURN IT UP!"
Tough
running_man | Chesterfield Twp., MI | 05/15/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It's next to impossible to discuss any production by Leslie West, Jack Bruce, and Corky Laing without making comparisons to the original power-rock trio, Cream, mainly due to the presence of composer, vocalist, and bassist Jack Bruce. While Bruce is Bruce in both bands, Leslie West certainly isn't Eric Clapton, at least not in a technical sense, but he is a big, bold, bad guitarist with undeniable attitude. After all, there is a reason why Jack Bruce is playing with him. Corky Laing is another matter. He certainly isn't a Ginger Baker. His anemic contribution to the whole has to be considered one of the main reasons why WB&L didn't generate the commotion of Cream in the late 1960's. Of course marketing power-rock was an uphill battle by any measure in 1974, being on the cusp of the disco and New Wave phenomenons.
Although released on vinyl in 1974, this 2004 Sony/Windfall release is the first opportunity to sample these tracks on CD (an earlier version was available in Japan for some time, however). Background on the source of these recordings is paltry, and the information that is given appears shoddy. The liner notes, for example, list Jack Bruce as only contributing bass guitar, but he also plays synthesizer, takes the lead vocal on 'Politician', and sings together with Leslie West at other times. Running times are given twice, and they differ from one another. One set divides the four tracks into "side one" and "side two" apparently replicating the reverse side of the original album cover. The other set of running times appears to include some of the between-song banter and tuning. My CD player timed 'Play With Fire' at 12:45, for example, while the running times in the insert offer 12:36 and 13:27. The original album cover, however, lists 'The Doctor' at 7:56, while I timed it at only 7:30, and the updated CD listing times it at 7:37. Hard to tell what's amiss here. All of this is a shame, because the music is so deserving of better.
I found my appreciation for this disc multiplying with each listen. WB&L cover the Rolling Stone's 1965 hit 'Play With Fire' in heavy blues-rock mode, and with plenty of gusto. The tempo is turned up mightily at the 3 minute mark, tones down at the five and one-half minute mark, before surrendering entirely to an undistinguished three minute drum solo from Laing. At the eleven minute mark it's kickin' agin'. West, Bruce and Laing's second offering is perhaps their finest composition (with the only competition being 'Why Don'tcha'), the brutal 'The Doctor'. We're treated to a seven and one-half minute inspired rendition of this underrated classic.
Side two of the original vinyl disc didn't disappoint, either. 'Politician' was never one of my favorite Cream songs, but this version from WB&L packs a wallop that will send you beyond a Creamy deja-vu. Leslie puts lots of beef into his guitar runs, easily dismissing Clapton with sheer intensity, and Bruce's vocals are some of his best ever. They drip sincerity and emotion. It turns what I always considered to be a mediocre composition into a rock classic. The only other version of 'Powerhouse Sod' that I've heard was on Bruce's 'Live At the BBC' disc, and this ten minute plus version is much more coherant, animated, and vibrant. In addition, Bruce treats us to a four minute bass solo that serves only to confirm his reputation as a virtuoso on the instrument.
If you're buying this one, you're buying it entirely for the music. Don't expect anything more, but expect an aural blast from the past you won't soon forget. Total running time is under forty minutes, but let's hope that means volume two is still in the vault. It may be the only worthy moments that were captured on tape, however, and if that's the case I would prefer this lean version to one with rolls of fat. No disrespect to the Phat One intended (by the way, Leslie is also rather lean himself these days). So what are you waiting for? Order this puppy."
Reply to njrobbo
Mountain fan | Boston, MA | 02/26/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Hi, I am responding to your review about this album being to short. Well, I don't know your age, but you must have been born in the age of CD's. This album came out in 1972 or so and was on vinyl and there is only so much space on a vinyl long playing record. I used to attend many Leslie West's shows with Mountain and their songs tend to be long. Now a little known secret and I found this out by accident. Live 'N' Kickin' was recorded at a place called the Orpheum Theater in Boston, Massachusetts. How do I know? Well I taped the show for myself and it wasn't until I had my tape converted to CD and swapped with another person that person heard the familiarity of the song on my bootleg with the Live N Kickin album. Politician was recorded note for note. The other songs were edited. Now you know the rest of the story."
Track Listings (4) - Disc #1
